Triplet feel
With
Mike LovattMike Lovatt shows how swing comes down to playing your quavers with a triplet feel, and how to lock into the drummer's groove.
What's in the course
29 lessons (1h 2m) · 1 free
Lesson transcript
Unlocking the Swing Secret in Jazz
Okay, so now we're going to unlock that secret that we all have as jazz players regarding what swing is and how we play it, how we sound like that. We know how to swing, and this all comes down to the quavers we play.
Understanding Quavers
Quavers, which you are probably used to playing, even as in classical music, sound quite different when played with a swing feel.
Demonstration: Classical vs. Swing
Let me give you a demonstration. I will play the last phrase in the piece as though it's a classical piece of music with even quavers.
As you can hear, it sounds completely different than the performance I gave earlier.
Making Quavers Swing
So, how do we make our quavers swing?
We think along a triplet feel.
What is a Triplet?
Now, you may not know what a triplet is, so let me demonstrate:
- I will clap a triplet rhythm and count as well.
- Here's how to count a triplet:
- "1 under, 2 under, 3 under, 4 under"
- "1 under, 2 under, 3 under, 4 under."
In this way, the four beats in the bar are divided into three notes. Each beat is divided into three notes.
Swinging Quavers
Now, the jazz quavers pick up on that triplet rhythm.
- We go: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1-2-3.
- Listen: Dee Dee Dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee dee.
That is how we make it swing.
Listening to the Drummer
To get the sound of the swing quavers, one of the things I do when I'm playing is listen to the drummer. Pay attention to the way they're playing the triplet feel with the swing quavers.
In the backing track to the recording you heard earlier, the drummer is playing the swing quavers, the triplet feel on the cymbal.
Practice Together
If you found that hard to hear, let's try a little practice. How about I play a phrase, and you repeat after me?
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Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Mike Lovatt studied at Trinity College of Music, where he was awarded the Jon Kelly Jazz Scholarship. He has performed and recorded across a huge range of styles with artists including Quincy Jones, Robbie Williams, Eric Clapton, the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Michael Buble, Oasis, Michel Legrand, Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey and Danny Elfman, among many others.
As Principal Trumpet in London's West End, Mike has performed in Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, The Producers, Billy Elliot, Guys and Dolls, Saturday Night Fever, My Fair Lady and Spamalot, amongst others. He has played on movie soundtracks including the James Bond films, Harry Potter with the London Symphony Orchestra, the award-winning Chicago, Kevin Spacey's Beyond the Sea, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Madagascar and The Corpse Bride. He is featured on trumpet and cornet in George Fenton's Mrs Henderson Presents, and on trumpet in Looking for Eric.
Mike is principal trumpet with the Grammy-nominated John Wilson Orchestra and has been featured in their celebrated BBC Promenade concerts and recordings.
Mike is sought after as a teacher and clinician, and is a professor of trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. In April 2013 he was proud to be awarded the prestigious Derek Watkins' Chair of Trumpet at the Royal Academy of Music, London.
In his MusicGurus courses, Mike shares the secrets behind his versatility, showing you how to nail authentic swing, rock and Latin trumpet styles so you can play any of them with confidence and the right feel.
